Monday, August 3, 2009

Taking a break from the cards this week. First, though, it was a full moon with total quiet and hot weather, just like at the beginning of summer when I saw Harry's ghost. It was actually a quiet train ride from the readings over all, Mike Martinez, Joe Weintraub, and I talked about old Polish bakeries and Lithuanian restaurants until they left me at Grand and Harrison, respectively. I had a few extra minutes and so I got off at Roosevelt to get a big bottle of Fiji water, and on the way back I went down an alley to take some photos of the old Cleopatra bar, but they may come out dark. Over the years, from the elevated stop, I would watch the logo peel away over the back alley. It dawns on me that it was likely the fact that I then got on a more quiet train when I was again in the subway. So there you go.

I scanned some pages from UNIVERSAL MONSTERS 1931-1946, published by McFarland Press in 1988. I knew of the book and ended up buying it from Dennis Druktenis, publisher of SCARY MONSTERS magazine. (I wrote a tribute to John Agar after he died for SM, the magazine is still going strong and they sell it at Borders.) I cut a deal but still paid $60.00 for the book, which was totally fine with me, as it took me that entire summer to read. Lots of facts, like how and where Maria Ouspenskya died, and the fact that Dwight Frye (Renfield from DRACULA, above) died on his 41st birthday after he stepped off a bus and was hit by a car.

The book starts with my lookalike, FRANKENSTEIN, and ends with the film, THE BRUTE, with my OTHER lookalike, Rondo Hatten. There are many, many full page photos. The book even covers the Abbot & Costello films and the INNER SANCTUM series which starred Lon Chaney Jr.

Next week I'll get back to the cards. I really want to do THE MUMMY, but I should go back chronologically. So Dracula it will be. And, as you can see in the last image, I shrank each of these scans. And I will shit you not, I've always seen the scans at 2250 or 1215 on EVERYTHING. So where the hell did 1111 come from? Go ahead, Renfield, laugh it off. You ghoul.